Professionals, Alumni

Value of your Adelphi degree: “Feeling fully prepared to enter Columbia University’s Dental School. Meeting the valedictorian of my high school as we were both entering graduate programs at Columbia was just a bonus!”

A Periodontist with a Passion for Art

For as long as he can remember, Stuart Epstein has been fascinated by art and medicine.

When he graduated from Adelphi in 1969, he sought to combine those life-long interests, and pursued a career as a medical illustrator. However, he soon realized that art would never be “just a job” to him, and he didn’t seem to fit in that field. After a year teaching chemistry and biology at New Rochelle Academy, Dr. Epstein followed in his father’s footsteps and enrolled in dental school.

Dr. Epstein completed a one-year internship at the VA Hospital of Manhattan, and then two years of periodontal training at New York University. In 1977, after eight years, he and a close friend decided “it was time to get out of New York City.” Together they drove north on the Merritt Parkway and took the first exit for Greenwich, Connecticut.

Dr. Epstein recalls getting out of the car, looking around, and being instantly convinced that he wanted to stay in Greenwich. So, he went door to door, asking the 30 dentists in town if they thought the town could use another periodontist. Some said yes, some said no, but Dr. Epstein was determined, and opened his first practice on the Post Road later that year.

Today his office includes two associate periodontists, three hygienists, a receptionist and a dental assistant. He has approximately 1,500 patients, and is one of only 18 board certified periodontists in Connecticut.

Dr. Epstein remains active in the study of medicine and advancing dentistry. He has published 17 articles on new treatments and technologies. In 1990, he became the first periodontist in Connecticut to use the new Nd:YAG laser for soft tissue repair.

Dr. Epstein has taken part in international teaching conferences throughout the United States, in Switzerland and Argentina. In 2003, he joined Dental Volunteers for Israel, and spent eye-opening week working in a non-denominational clinic treating children.

Dr. Epstein learned about Adelphi from a high school track teammate, and was drawn to its small size. He has many fond memories of working in the lab with is favorite professors. Dr. Epstein once broke an expensive piece of equipment, “Professor Bettleheim’s first words to me were, “Are you ok.” All my professors were very personable, and really cared about what we were going through in college.” He published his first research article with Dr. Bettleheim, while at Adelphi.

Dr. Epstein lives in Greenwich with his wife, Barbara and their two sons. He enjoys playing tennis, and still paints his own holiday and greeting cards. In 1983, Dr. Epstein completed another of his life’s goals, running the New York City marathon. He beat his target time of four hours by more than five minutes.